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Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray even noted the committed manner of the Pilgrims at Ewood Park on Tuesday night.

As the side languishing at the foot of the division, it is natural for people to speculate about the faith the playing staff have in their leader. Mowbray picked up on that and set the record straight.

“I don’t think there’s any poor sides in this league,” he said.

“They came and defended as we thought they would defend, having watched the game against Shrewsbury at the weekend.

“We prepared for a team that were going to play 4-5-1, leave the striker isolated up the pitch, defend all parts of the pitch with lots of numbers.

“They had a little bit of an x-factor with [Graham] Carey and that’s what we got.

“Carey did what he does, as he did against Shrewsbury, scored a goal out of nothing with his left foot.

“They’re showing they’re working really hard for their manager, they’re putting their bodies on the line, they’re blocking shots, they’re heading balls out the box.

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“We had to ask them lots of questions tonight and they came up with most of the answers.”

Rovers took 25 shots to Argyle’s eight on Tuesday night and dominated large portions of the match.If it were not for the diligent, committed defending of the visitors, it could have been a cricket score.

Mowbray felt hard done by after the match, but refused to criticise his players and instead praised Argyle for the way they played despite their 620-mile round-trip.

“It was a game we probably deserved to take the three points and yet we didn’t,” he said.

“I can’t stand here today and overly criticise them really, other than a lack of nous in the final third to get the ball in the net.

“We had enough chances tonight to win a few games, but it wasn’t to be.

“Credit to them. They’ve travelled a long way. It’s a long, long trip and credit to their fans who made the trip today, but a huge disappointment right to the end.

“Some chances in the last minute, but it just wasn’t going to be tonight.”

Gary Sawyer dives in on Marcus Antonsson during the League One match between Blackburn Rovers and Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at Ewood Park, Blackburn (Image: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK)

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As the hosts committed more and more men to the attack in the closing stages of the match, they were far more exposed to Argyle’s counter attacks.

Mowbray was conscious of that.

“We tried to create. They had a lot of men behind the ball. They defended with 10 men behind the ball for most of the night and the more we gambled in the last 15 minutes the more they looked like they might break away as we almost played man for man at the back,” he said.

“It wasn’t to be. We created chances. It wasn’t to be and it’s difficult to get through 10 men.

“We tried to go around the outside, put Chapman on. He created some nice chances, but we didn’t quite get the finish.

“Put some balls in the box, it wouldn’t quite drop for us at times. They blocked, they had a lot of men in the way.

“It’s frustrating. That’s football. Credit to them. I can’t be critical. I’m not going to stand here and be critical.